Power of the Clans
by Bramblemask973
Summary: Fire... Fire..! Fire! FIRE! Kin and kin will drown the forest in blood. Lives will be lost to the claws of battle. Fire alone will save the Clan when kin is no more. Fire alone will save the Clan when kin is no more! A Warrior Cats AU where the Clans have powers and the Fire Alone prophecy means a little more than it lets on.


The sun was nearing the end of its reign in the sky when they finally reached the outskirts of the forest. A light breeze shuffled the leaves in the canopy above, and the distant sound of birdsong made the air seem that much lighter. The first steps onto the sun-warmed grass brought a new energy to her aching muscles. Home, again. Finally. It had felt like such a long journey, and though they'd only been gone overnight, it felt like days.

The newly appointed Spottedstar padded onto the rocks at the top of the gorge, bounding down from them onto the path below. Shaking out her tortoiseshell fur and taking a quick moment to note the cats at the riverside, she looked back up over her shoulder to make sure her companion followed. Duskfeather had travelled with her overnight, and hadn't left her side for a single moment. He was the best cat she could have taken with her on the journey to the Moonstone. The tom leaped down onto the rock beside her just as a greeting came from above, drawing Spottedstar's attention.

"Spottedmask! Duskfeather! You're back!"

Daypaw rushed to the edge of the gorge, nearly taking herself off of it as she flared her wings to stop. Crouching on the lip of the rock, her tail puffed up, flicking with excitement. The cream tabby grinned as she looked down at them, amber eyes wide.

"Or are you Spotted_star_ now?"

"That's right." Spottedstar purred, tucking her wings close to her sides to give Duskfeather room to stand beside her. Duskfeather's green eyes gleamed warmly as he raised his tail in greeting to his apprentice. Daypaw's grin only widened and a mischievous look crossed over her face for a moment as she opened her wings and straightened up.

"Awesome."

Almost immediately, Daypaw leaped past them onto the Rockpile and then down to the riverside, nearly flattening Dustface in the process. Spottedstar shared an amused look with Duskfeather before she turned and headed down the path deeper into the camp. Many moons of paws had travelled this path, wearing it down into the rock to make a safe passage for cats of all ages from the pit of the gorge to the top. She'd walked it many times from her kithood to last night, but now it felt different. New.

She didn't have much time to think about it. Daypaw's yowling had gained the attention of the rest of the Clan, and faces were peeking out of dens and appearing from behind the gorge rocks. A ginger tabby queen, Redleaf, peered out from the nursery, the sounds of barely born kits crying behind her. Her brother Cardinalfur sat beside the fresh kill pile at the bottom of the gorge, his tabby markings mirroring hers despite his darker fur, wings folded neatly over his back. His feathers weren't quite as neat – the hint of green spattered here and there from the herbs he stashed in between them made his feathers appear ruffled and unkempt, despite being the cleanest in the Clan.

Feeling pride burn in her chest, Spottedstar glanced around, taking in the rest of the Clan. Shadefur had just landed, a fresh mouse clamped in her jaws. Behind her was Fangwisp, the newest warrior, licking his lips to clear the drops of river water from his mouth. Speckleheart appeared around the corner, three mice hanging by their tails from her teeth, her silver pelt dusty and ruffled. As Spottedstar reached the Rockpile and leaped up onto it, Dustface had Daypaw pinned, the apprentice squirming her protest.

SkyClan. Her Clan.

Heart beating in her chest like a woodpecker on bark, Spottedstar flared her wings as she stood tall, pulling breath in for a yowl.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!"

A shiver went through her spine to the tip of her tail, and for once she was glad for her long fur to hide the fact that it was beginning to prick up along her back. She had dreamt for moons about being able speak those words, and it sent chills through her body to finally do so. She really was leader, and there was no turning back.

Her call had drawn out the remaining cats from their dens. Dustface finally moved off of Daypaw and nudged her to get up and sit properly. Cardinalfur jumped up onto one of the lower rocks of the Rockpile. Shadefur sat down between Duskfeather and Fangwisp. Redleaf took a glance back inside the nursery before she sat in its entrance, not willing to leave the kits. That was fine. Spottedstar didn't expect her to, not after only giving birth last night. She was glad to see the queen was strong and safe, and the kits sounded the same.

Forcing her nervousness down, Spottedstar let her tail flick as she took in the faces of the Clan. Her Clan. They all trusted her, looked up to her to guide them, to keep them safe. Was she ready for this? Probably not. But she wasn't alone. She had all of them.

"Cats of SkyClan," Spottedstar began, pausing for a moment to swallow the rising dread in her throat. "As the Sun begins her descent and the Moon rises, we mourn Hawkstar as he travels with them on his way to StarClan. He was a fierce and devoted leader, and we will honor him in the stories we tell to our kits, and generations on. Hawkstar!"

The cats immediately raised their muzzles to the sky, calling out the old leader's name to the sunset. A bittersweet pain started in her belly as she watched them. Hawkstar had passed the day before from an old infection that never healed properly, fighting for every breath. He had lived a good long life, though, and was an old cat when he died. Spottedstar lifted her eyes to the sky, letting the Clan chant his name until they faded back into silence of their own accord.

"StarClan has granted me their blessing and my nine lives so that I may continue in Hawkstar's place as leader of SkyClan." Wings tucked close to her sides, Spottedstar turned her gaze back onto the cats below. "I offer you all nine of them as I ask for your loyalty and your trust. I pray that StarClan can guide my paws to bring us to greater heights, so that SkyClan may thrive long after I have given all of my lives to its service."

It was then that the Clan erupted into their own cheering, this time of her new name. Spottedstar's worries suddenly vanished like the wind, warmth spreading over her fur again. They accepted her. She wasn't sure what she would have done if they hadn't. A few moments and then she stretched a wing for silence, finally able to do what she'd wanted since arriving back at home.

"But I cannot do it alone," Spottedstar purred, pulling herself to her full height and looking up at the sky. "I, Spottedstar, leader of SkyClan, say these words below StarClan and Hawkstar, so that they may hear and approve of my choice. Duskfeather will be the new deputy of SkyClan."

The Clan burst into cheers and purrs, Daypaw nearly leaping out of her skin as she howled her mentor's name. Duskfeather just looked stunned, his eyes wide and fur rising along his spine. He stumbled as Shadefur gave him a shove with her head that nearly pushed him off of his feet, but quickly recovered, padding towards the Rockpile and climbing up beside Cardinalfur. The medicine cat grinned and touched his tail to his friend's.

Finally the meeting was over. Spottedstar leaped down from the Rockpile, blinking as the Clan swarmed around her, offering kind words and purrs. It took a bit for them to disperse, but she made her way over to her new deputy and the medicine cat beside him. Cardinalfur stood up and grinned, giving her a friendly lick between the ears before stepping back.

"Congratulations! I knew you'd do great. I hope it wasn't too disrespectful that I couldn't go."

"Dawnstep didn't mind. She knew you had to worry about Redleaf," Spottedstar smiled. "I'm glad the kitting went well. Redleaf seems alright."

"After the first scare, it didn't go too badly. She's still nervous, though. It's her first litter, so I told the Clan to leave her be for a few days. That goes for you as well, leader or not."

"I'll leave her be. I can speak with her later." Spottedstar sat down beside them, suddenly exhausted. Now that the exhilaration of the day was over, the length of the journey caught up with her. Duskfeather shifted a bit closer, nudging her shoulder.

"If you're going to the Gathering, you should get some rest. You haven't slept since the Moonstone."

"I'll rest, its fine. I'm going to lose a life from being tired." Spottedstar stood up and turned towards her den, but then glanced back up to Cardinalfur as Duskfeather nodded and walked away. He seemed lost in thought, eyes staring into the nursery. Following his gaze, Spottedstar froze. A soft glow was coming from inside the nursery, flickering like firelight. She blinked, and the glow was gone. Just the stone wall from before. Fur prickling along her spine, Spottedstar stood up again and shook her head. Maybe she was more tired than she thought.

"Get some sleep, Spottedstar. I feel like we have a long night ahead of us." Cardinalfur whispered, giving her a strange glance before he turned away and headed for his den. Spottedstar watched him go, her tail flicking. Her first day as leader wasn't even over yet, and he was already giving her strange cryptic messages.

Perhaps they both just needed to sleep.

The Gathering was going well. Brackenstar of ThunderClan and Sharpstar of ShadowClan had both welcomed her graciously, while Creekstar, RiverClan's leader, offered some kind words in Hawkstar's passing. Dewstar hadn't come up to the Great Rock yet, but she was on her way. The view from here was brilliant. Spottedstar couldn't help but flutter her wings to get some of the tension out of them. She could see every cat from here, which means every cat could see her.

Duskfeather seemed to be settling well with the other deputies. Sootcloud, ShadowClan's deputy, was sitting beside him. By the looks of it, they were swapping stories, and looking quite comfortable. Cardinalfur was picking herbs from his feathers to give to the WindClan medicine cat, a ginger tabby named Ivyclaw, who had brought some of his own to trade. Everything seemed peaceful. Quiet.

_This is how it should be. Peace among us for moons. _How long could it last?

Spottedstar shifted over to let Dewstar leap up beside them, and a quick nod to Sharpstar let him know the Gathering could start. The ShadowClan leader let out a yowl for silence, waited a moment for the Clans to settle down, before he began to share his news.

Everything was going quietly for a while and it was Spottedstar's turn to speak all too quickly. She gulped as Brackenstar shifted out of the way for her to step up, and as she did, a sudden harsh wind cut through the calm air of Four Trees. Stumbling, Spottedstar steadied herself and glanced down to the cats below, before her spine prickled and every muscle in her body stiffened. Every cat in the clearing went silent as the other leaders and medicine cats did the same. Nobody dared speak to break the silence, the wind picking up and clouds beginning to billow overhead.

Suddenly it wasn't wind anymore. Voices, a dozen ghostly voices blew around the Clans, in every cat's ears. From the smallest apprentice to the oldest elder to all of the leaders, every single cat's fur prickled as the word of StarClan burst into their ears.

_**Fire…**_

Was StarClan taking back their blessing? Surely they wouldn't do so now, in front of all of the Clans. Spottedstar looked frantically down to the cats, eyes widening as she caught sight of the glow again. The same glow from the nursery, the same firelight, except this time it was coming from the belly of a RiverClan queen.

_**Fire…!**_

The orange markings of a ShadowClan tortoiseshell warrior flickered.

_**Fire!**_

A WindClan apprentice's eyes burst into flame.

_**FIRE!**_

A ThunderClan warrior's tail swished anxiously, a blaze following in its trail.

And StarClan _screamed._

_**Kin and kin and kin will drown the forest in blood. Lives will be lost to the claws of battle. Fire alone will save the Clan when kin is no more.**_

_**Fire alone will save the Clan when kin is no more!**_

* * *

_Proofreading? What's that?_

_Welcome to Power of the Clans! A WIP self indulgent Warriors AU where each Clan has its own power and the Fire Alone prophecy has a different meaning. SkyClan has wings, ShadowClan uses shadows as portals, ThunderClan controls lightning, WindClan controls air and RiverClan controls water. _

_More info can be found at .com_

_If you notice any typos or hard to read sentences, please let me know!_

_~Jeli_


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